


The Rhythm of the Night

by Valentacool



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Cryptid Hunting, F/M, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Heavy Angst, I think i just like to make them suffer, Keith and Shiro are Adoptive Siblings, Pidge is a straight up badass, So much angst, Vampire AU, broganes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2019-01-05 03:30:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12182052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valentacool/pseuds/Valentacool
Summary: Keith and Shiro are famous YouTube cryptid hunters. When they get a tip on a possible lead in the creepy town of Ostburn, every instinct is telling them not to go. Who knew that going would lead them on the craziest night of their lives.So this is my finale for Pidge ship week 2017! I've had this in my drafts for a few weeks and so I decided to post it for free day! Happy shipping!**ON HOLD**





	1. Into the Darkness

**Author's Note:**

> So this was supposed to just be a one shot but depending on the response I might make it multichapter? Idk here come the cryptids. Shiro doesn't have his white forelock or his prosthetic arm, so I got to beat him up even more!

Keith Kogane was a cryptid hunter. Along with his step brother, Takashi Shirogane, he ran a successful hunter channel on YouTube. Shiro often joked that the real cryptid was Keith himself, with his long dark hair and fingerless gloves. Plus there was the purple eyes but Keith would often pretend they were contacts. He didn't want anyone prying into his lineage, much less who his mother was. That was one mystery he wanted to stay a mystery. Keith shifted into a more comfortable position, resenting his typical hunting gear. Dark, stiff jeans were shoved into worn hiking boots. He wore a thermal short sleeve top(essential for conserving heat on long nights) and a worn, red zip up hoodie. The only thing that felt natural were his fingerless gloves.

 

Shiro was driving the old pickup truck to the next cryptid location, suggested by a fan in the comments. The subscriber had claimed to stop through the city once, and the details had caused Keith an immediate need to visit. Sketchy locals, a city wide curfew, and an ever growing missing persons list. Even though the place was roughly the size of Chicago, it had zero tourism. A cryptid was just begging to be revealed. Keith pushed his hoodie sleeves up, exposing his forearm tattoo. Views had skyrocketed since he’d started showing off the black and white roses. Booting up his gopro camera, Keith began filming for their newest episode.

 

“Gane brothers here,” Keith spoke to the camera. “And welcome to another episode of Cryptid Hunters. At the suggestion of cryptidfan224, we're gonna visit the city of Ostburn. A once bustling city has been transformed into a spooky place as of 3 years back, when a string of disappearances started only to never be solved. Shiro has some theories on the cryptid we could be dealing with. Shiro?”

 

Keith turned the camera to face his older step-sibling, currently driving them towards Ostburn. Shiro was clad in similar attire, dark jeans and hiking boots but instead of a hoodie he had his favorite flannel on. “In a city as large as this, a few different types of cryptid could be possible,” Shiro ran a hand through his black undercut, keeping both eyes on the road. “Ostburn doesn't have a forest surrounding it, mainly just fields. It's highly possible that this cryptid thrives in the city, it's prey no doubt being the missing people. They only seem to disappear at night, so the creature is most likely nocturnal. It's possible it could be a night crawler but the missing people don't line up. Aliens are also possible, but Ostburn is a big city. Aliens tend to stick to tiny villages.”

 

“You heard it first here people!” Keith turned the camera back to him. “Is it a nightcrawler? Aliens? Or an entirely new cryptid? Keep watching to find out. This is Keith, over and out.”

 

Keith shut off the camera, pleased with his footage. If this really was a nightcrawler it would be revolutionary for the channel.

 

“I don't think it's a nightcrawler,” Shiro spoke up.

 

“Then why'd you say it might be?” Keith turned to the older man in surprise. 

 

“Because I think it's the v-word.”

 

“Shiro we've been over this,” Keith groaned into his hands. “Vampires aren't real. The hype is just starting to die from the sparkly bullshit and I'm not about to bring it back. It could be a werewolf.”

 

“Not with that many disappearances,” Shiro shook his head. “Plus there's no forest around the city. It's all fields.”

 

“Nope not believing it. Vampires aren't real.”

 

“Clearly I'm not getting through to you. Look it's getting late and we're close to Ostburn. Just don't do anything risky. Your dad would kill me.”

 

“Noted.”

 

They sat in silence as darkness descended on the highway. Keith had never seen the highway so empty. The closer they seemed to get to their destination, the less cars there were. Keith felt a shiver go down his spine and quickly zipped up his hoodie. This hunt was already giving him the creeps. No one cryptid would cause a citywide curfew, not in a place this large. The anticipation was killing him. It didn't help that they had never actually caught a cryptid. They'd come close a few times, but most were just locals, mainly drunk teenagers. There was always something left unexplained though, it kept the viewers coming back for more, even if they could explain it.

 

“If it's not a cryptid,” Keith fiddled with the hoodie zipper. “What do you think it could be?”

 

“It's a big city,” Shiro changed lanes. “Gang violence is highly plausible. Police instate a curfew to protect locals, missing people are those who get caught in the fire. Honestly, it makes more sense than a nightcrawler.”

 

“What if it's a real cryptid? We've never actually found one.”

 

“I dunno man. This is our exit.”

 

Shiro took a turn off the highway, the headlights lighting up a sign. Keith quickly whipped out the camera and filmed them passing the sign that said  _ Welcome to Ostburn! _ How did such a cheery place turn into an apparent ghost town? Keith kept the camera rolling, filming his surroundings as the got closer to the city. There wasn't a single car on the road. 

 

Ostburn seemed like a normal place on the outside, tall buildings surrounded them, shops peppered the lower floors. They passed corner stores, old boutiques, and a few tattoo shops. Ostburn could be any other city Keith had visited, except not a single place was open. 

 

“It's only nine,” Keith spoke softly, not wanting to ruin the footage he was capturing. “Why is nothing open?”

 

“Citywide curfew,” Shiro muttered, clearly uncomfortable. “Must apply to businesses too..."

 

“Creepy…”

 

As they kept driving, Keith couldn't shake the fear in the pit of his stomach. Something about this place felt seriously off. Would a hotel even be open to take visitors right now? Keith really didn't want to spend another night in the truck. In the distance, a noise went off that sounded like a motorcycle.

 

“You hear that?” Keith was talking to both the camera and Shiro. “Not a car for miles and then a motorcycle? You'd think this place is haunted by the Ghost Rider.”

 

“Might be,” Shiro chuckled to himself. “Not a nightcrawler but the Ghost Rider himself!”

 

“Yeah yeah, c'mon let's just find an open hotel.”

 

-

 

They probably could've explored the whole city, but they'd never find an open hotel. Keith kicked the dashboard in frustration, leaving a dusty boot print. Even after driving for 2 hours, an actual bed seemed less likely than finding an actual cryptid.

 

“Hey I'm tired too but don't take it out on old Bertha,” Shiro said referring to the pickup truck’s name. “Spending the night in the truck isn't the worst idea. We've done it before.”

 

“Yeah we have,” Keith grumbled back. “We have for the past 2 nights to save money for a hotel in Ostburn. Which none of them are open.”

 

“This is bullshit.”

 

“Language,” Shiro scolded. “Look, actual people. Let's just stop and ask if any hotels are open.”

 

Keith turned to where Shiro was referring. 5 people stood outside and entrance to what looked like a club. The tallest seemed to be a man with long white hair. His shirt said Gucci and a cigarette dropped lazily out of his mouth. The woman next to him had a dark blue undercut and had a dark green jacket over a black tank top. A girl with a rainbow ponytail and a yellow shirt hung off the most muscular woman he'd ever seen. Her kinky hair was pulled into two buns and she had a scar going down her left cheek. The last was sitting down on her phone wearing a black sweatshirt that said Nyavana. Despite the late hour, she had on retro sunglasses. The clique like group rubbed Keith the wrong way.

 

“Shiro I don't think this is a good idea,” Keith voiced his unease. “Maybe we should just keep driving.”

 

“They're the first people we've seen all night,” Shiro pulled the car over right in front of the creepers. “Just hop out an ask for directions.”

 

“If something goes wrong it's all your fault.”

 

Keith hopped out of the truck, slamming the door behind him. While the group of creepers had been watching the car before, they now watched Keith with sick fascination. The girl with the undercut leaned over and whispered something into the guy with white hair’s ear. He smirked, making Keith want to turn around and force Shiro to drive them home. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the girl with the sunglasses go over to inspect Shiro.

 

“Hey ummm,” Keith started uneasily. “My brother and I were wondering if you guys know if there's anywhere open to stay the night. All the hotels we've passed have been closed.”

 

“Did you hear that Zethrid?” Rainbow ponytail girl said into the muscular girl’s ear. “Poor baby needs a place to stay!”

 

“Shut it Ezor,” She-hulk(Zethrid?) said to rainbow(Ezor?).

 

“No no,” the guy with white hair chuckled. “ It's fine! We should help our guests! Should we Acxa?”

 

The girl with the dark undercut grunted in agreement, walking towards Keith to size him up. Keith was vaguely aware of Shiro rolling down the window to talk to Nyavana girl. Idiot.

 

“He smells good Lotor,” The girl called Acxa said, moving way into Keith’s personal space. “What do you think?”

 

“I think it's snack time,” the man with the white hair gave Keith a smile that could spoil milk. “Narti?”

 

Keith heard Shiro scream and whipped his head around the find that Nyavana girl had pulled Shiro’s right arm out of the car and snapped it. Bone pushed out from his forearm, blood flowing steadily from the wound.  _ Fuck fuck fuck fuck _ , Keith thought to himself. He knew they shouldn't of stopped! Undercut girl twisted Keith’s arm around his back, nearly snapping his shoulder. He fell to the ground with a tell. Behind him, Shiro rapidly rolled up the window and caught Nyavana’s fingers in the mix. Keith winced as he heard the tell tale sign of fingers breaking and the woman's scream. Zethrid angrily marched over to her friend, ripping who he assumed was Narti’s fingers out the window. Keith wanted to pass out as he heard even more knuckles break from the force. Adrenaline finally kicked in as he struggled to break free from Acxa’s grip. Tilting his head up, he spied Lotor, clearly enjoying his pathetic fight to break free. Just what the he'll were these people??

 

“GET DOWN!” An unfamiliar voice yelled.

 

Keith obeyed, putting his head back down just in time for a black matte motorbike to hit Acxa off him. The front tire ground her head into the ground, ripping off about 2 layers of skin. Ezor lunged forward to help her friend. Looking back up, Keith saw her drop the bike on Ezor. He watched his mystery savior roundhouse kick the rainbow girl’s jaw, most likely breaking it due to the snap he just heard. She fell clutching her jaw in pain. Keith quickly took the in the form of his savior. They were smaller than he'd expected, probably no taller than 5’3. A worn dark blue flannel shirt covered their torso, and grey jeans were tucked into laced up ankle boots. They had a dark canvas backpack on. A dark green helmet covered their head.

 

Lotor angrily approached them, taking a swing at their head. Dodging quickly, they landed a swift kick into his chest. The figure seemed to favor kick attacks rather than using their fists. They seemed to be trapped in a dance, the rider kicking and Lotor throwing punches.

 

“ENOUGH!” Lotor roared after the figure kicked him one too many times. Lotor dug his hand into the helmet and ripped it off. “Let's see how strong you are without your mask!”

 

As the helmet had come off, a long honey gold braid had fallen out and bangs framed a very pissed off face of a young woman. She had heavy eyeliner on, or were those bags under her eyes? Suddenly the kick attacks made more sense. Naturally a woman would be inclined to use kick attacks since they had a lower center of gravity. If Lotor had intended to make her weaker by taking off the helmet, he'd failed. She attacked him with even more ferocity, breaking up some of her kick attacks with swipes from her elbows. She landed a hit on Lotor’s face, splattering blood across both of their faces.

 

“You!” Lotor yelled. “Zethrid! Get over here and finish her!”

 

“Shit,” the brunette cursed. “You! Grab my helmet, come on we gotta go!”

 

Keith sat up in stupor, vaguely aware her helmet had been tossed right next to him. “But Shiro-"

 

“You in the car!” She barked a command. “Start driving, I've got him!”

 

Ignoring the pain, Shiro sped off into the distance. Keith struggled to his feet as the woman dragged him towards the bike. She ripped it off Acxa and quickly started the engine. She tugged back on her helmet.

 

“Hold on!”

 

Revving the bike, the pair shot off, leaving Lotor and his gang in the distance. Keith wrapped his arms tightly around her form, adrenaline keeping him going. His mind was muddled. What the fuck had just happened? Where was Shiro? Who the hell was this? Buildings flew by as the bike gained speed. Keith buried his face in the riders back, hoping to keep the wind out of his eyes. After riding for what felt like an eternity, the bike finally started to slow. Keith peeked his head out and saw they were stopping by a corner store. The bike stopped and the driver lowers the kick stand.

 

“Get off,” she ordered. “Follow me.”

 

He watched as she took off her helmet and balanced it on the bike. She walked towards the store and Keith wordlessly followed. She crouched down at the door and began to pick the lock.

 

“What are you doing?” Keith asked, breaking the unspoken rule that he wasn't supposed to talk.

 

“Looting,” she simply replied, opening the door. “I need supplies and you look like you need water.”

 

“But cameras…” he trailed off, following her inside.

 

“Police are busy with missing people,” she grabbed 2 water bottles and shoved them in the backpack. “They aren't gonna report missing water bottles. Or rice cakes. Or a pack of HiChew.”

 

“But that's stealing! What about my brother? Who were those guys?? Actually who are you?”

 

“Call me Pidge,” she said taking a pack of rice cakes off a shelf. “I'll give you an address, tell your partner to go there. We can help him there. And the stealing is a necessary evil. As for the guys that attacked you, the less you know the better.”

 

“Okay great,” Keith huffed, taking his phone out. “I'm not taking orders from a midget. So what the fuck just happened?”

 

“You ask too many questions,” Pidge turned to face him, irritation clear on her face. She grabbed his phone and typed in an address. “Send that to your friend. Also, what part of the less you know the better don't you understand? This midget just saved your fucking life. You could've died back there if it wasn't for me. So suck it up and help me loot. What flavor of HiChew do you want?”

 

“Mango,” He replied, a pout on his face.

 

“Stop pouting,” She ordered. “Since you wanna be an asshole, I'm getting strawberry.”

 

“Now who won't listen Midget?”

 

“My fucking name is Pidge!” She turned around and grabbed Keith by the collar of his shirt, dragging him down to her eye level. He could smell the blood on her face. It was also the first time he got a clear look at her face. She had a splattering of freckles and the darkness around her eyes was both eyeliner and eye bags. “Do you wanna be fucking dead?? I saved your life when I could've kept driving and saved myself a fuck ton of trouble! So drop the goddamn emo act right now asshat. Cause right now, leaving your ass for Lotor and his goons is pretty appealing.”

 

Keith stumbled back when she let go of his collar. He watched the fury leave her eyes as Pidge went back to looting. He watched her grab two packs of candy, one mango flavored. Perhaps she wasn't such an awful person. Well, he could figure as much, an awful person wouldn't risk their life to save a stranger.  A jerk of Pidge’s head indicated it was time to go. Keith wordlessly followed her out of the corner store. Pidge grabbed the dark helmet off the bike and put it on.

 

“No helmet for me?” Keith questioned, moving to get on the bike.

 

“No room for an extra,” Pidge’s voice was muffled by the helmet. “Wasn't planning an rescue mission. Just hold on.”

 

Keith was quickly learning to do as he was told with the smaller girl. The blood on her face was also a bit unnerving. Keith held tight to Pidge’s waist as she started up the bike. Her backpack made it hard to get a good grip. A moment later they were speeding off again. Pidge was driving slower now, so slow that Keith could almost enjoy the wind in his hair. Almost. Worry for Shiro clouded his mind, the image of bone tearing through his arm fresh in his mind. Was he even fit to drive in that condition? 

 

Keith felt like he was going to vomit. Everything felt so wrong, everything had gone so wrong. Just 3 hours ago, he had his camera and was just filming another video for YouTube. Just another dead end cryptid mystery. And now Shiro was possibly dying and he was at the whim of an angry midget. The very same midget was slowing down the bike, stopping in front of what seemed to be apartments. 

 

“C'mon off the bike,” Pidge said, removing her helmet. Keith got off the bike and let her park it.

 

She put the bike by a fence, locking it in place. The fence was guarding some stairs heading down, Pidge motioned for Keith to follow her down them. Using the same keys for the motorbike, Pidge unlocked the door.

 

“Lance!” She called out, walking into the apartment. “Hunk! I'm back! And we've kinda got a situation.”

 

“PIDGE!” A tall Cuban boy descended on Pidge's tiny form. A blue and gray baseball shirt hung off his lanky frame. “No phone call no nothing! I-we thought you were dead!”

 

“I'm fine,” she returned the taller boy’s hug. “I always come back, don't I?”

 

“Yeah, it's just well…” A blush spread across the Cuban’s cheeks. Keith squashed down the weird feeling in his stomach that bubbled up at the sight. “You were gone a lot longer than usual. And Hunk picked up serious activity on the radar.”

 

“Yeah that was me,” Pidge put down her helmet on a coffee table covered in papers. “I butted heads with Lotor and his gang while trying to save him.”

 

“You did WHAT?” the boy fixed a gaze of anger on Keith. “And who are you?”

 

“Relax Lance, I had the element of surprise on my side. And this is...say I never did get your name.”

 

“Keith,” he stuck out his hand and the other boy as a sign of peace. “Keith Kogane.”

 

“Lance McClain,” the other boy shook his hand. “The one with the headphone over there is Hunk.”

 

Keith looked over to see a large Samoan man with headphones on. He hadn't moved since he and Pidge had arrived. Keith took a moment to take in the apartment. They were standing in a small living room connected to a kitchen. Something was boiling on the stove, though with the lack of smell it was probably just water. He saw 2 doors leading off, one was open revealing a large walk-in closet jam packing with technology. The other was closed, leading to what Keith assumed was a bedroom. 

 

“Pidge, your covered in blood,” Lance’s voice tore Keith away from his inspection. He watched as Lance gently touched a bloodstain on her face. “Who's is it?”

 

“Lotor’s,” She replied. “And it's only on my face. I promise I'm fine.”

 

“Did you swallow any of his blood?” Lance asked.

 

“Maybe, I don't know. Look I'll be fine!”

 

“Hunk please come talk some sense into her!” Lance yelled at Hunk.

 

The Samoan man finally turned around. He had a yellow t shirt on and an orange headband tied around his forehead. “Oh is Pidge back?”

 

“Yes she's back could you at least pretend to be concerned!” Lance shouted in his direction.

 

“Pidge would do better in a fight than me,” Hunk shrugged and turned back around. “Besides she always comes back.”

 

“Okay yeah!” Lance threw his arms up. “You can take care of her then when she's vomiting up vampire blood!”

 

“I'm taking a shower,” Pidge pushed past Lance to the closed door. She dropped her backpack on the couch. “I went looting by the way.”

 

“Pidge you gotta stop doing that!” Hunk called at her as she shut the door. 

 

“Um my brother is on his way,” Keith spoke softly, unsure if he was even allowed to. “Well I think he's on his way, Pidge sent him an address. He was hurt really bad. She said you could help?”

 

“Pidge can help,” Lance corrected him. “She's the one with the most medical training. Let her shower. Or probably vomit actually.”

 

“Why would she need to vomit?” Keith winced at the word.

 

“Vampire blood,” Hunk turned away from his computer. “The human body doesn't like it. If ingested, you'll throw up until it's all out. Probably why she went looting, stock up on water."

 

“Vampires aren't rea-” A slamming at the door caused Keith to whip his head around at the sound.

 

“Is anyone in there?” Shiro’s voice came through. “Please! I'm losing blood!”

 

“Shiro!” Keith cried opening the door.

 

Shiro stood there, good hand desperately trying to cover the bone protruding from his arm. A long gash was sliced across the bridge of his nose. Keith helped him through the door as Lance went for Pidge. As Pidge emerged from the room(Keith was vaguely aware of the fact that she wasn't wearing a shirt anymore, just a lady strapless bra and oh god she was so toned and how had he missed how tiny her waist was on the bike????) Hunk ran in, saying something about needing to throw up. Keith would be lying if he said he wasn't far behind him.

 

“Lance get him prepped to receive blood,” Pidge started giving out orders. “Keith, tie this around his upper arm about here. If he loses anymore blood we might lose him.”

 

“Roger,” Lance went Shiro’s side and began disinfecting his good arm. Keith struggled with the tie, but beamed when Pidge gave him a nod of approval.

 

“Hi I'm Pidge and I'm going to fix you, okay?” Pidge began babbling to Shiro. “Your name is Shiro yeah? Okay listen closely, you lost a lot of blood and this is gonna hurt a lot but I need you to stay awake. I'm gonna have to push the bone back in. We'll get you disinfected but I really need to stay awake. Then I'm gonna set it and stitch you up and we can get you to a hospital at first light.”

 

“Okay yeah sounds good,” Shiro grunted as Lance pushed a needle in his arm. “Got like a distraction or something?”

 

“I am the distraction?” Pidge looked at Shiro funny. “I'm not wearing a shirt.”

 

“Ah um right.”

 

“Oh god you're gay aren't you?” Pidge shook her head. “I'll cut you a deal, stay awake and when this is all over I'll set you up with my brother.”

 

“Deal,” Shiro gave her a thin smile through the pain.

 

“Okay, now relax. And I'm really sorry.”

 

“Sorry for wha-" Shiro’s question was cut off with a scream as Pidge push his bone back where it belonged.

 

Keith fainted.

 

-

 

Keith woke with a start, gasping for air. Whipping his head around, he realized he was on a bed. Well, a couch bed. He must be in the room behind the closed door. It was a small dark room, sparsely decorated. A large closet on one wall was open, exposing clothes and shoes of 3 distinct sizes. Aside from the couch bed, there was a trundle bed with a large pillow and 3 blankets of various sizes. On the edge of it rested a backpack with starfish on it. It was covered with various buttons and a few keychains. On the opposite wall of the closet, a twin bed with only a crumpled sheet was present. It must be the partner to the trundle bed. Light came from a cracked open door, either leading to a bathroom or the living room. In front of the door, Pidge's shirt from earlier laid discarded. Sounds of discomfort came from behind the door. Keith tentatively stood up, pushing off a homemade quilt. He quietly approached the door, then gently knocked.

 

“Hey,” Keith called into the bright room. “Is that you Pidge?”

 

“Yes,” her voice croaked out.

 

Taking it as an invitation to go in, Keith opened the door. It was a small bathroom, with only a sink, a shower, and a toilet. Three toothbrushes stood in a cup by the sink, surrounded by various skin care products. While the eyeliner was definitely hers, Keith had a hard time believing Pidge was that interested in skin care. The shower was littered with various bottles in every shape and size. A hairbrush was discarded on the floor of the shower. Three towels hung by the shower, one white, one dark blue, and one had a flowery print. Pidge was hunched over the toilet, vomiting.

 

“Hey uhh,” Keith cautiously approached her. “You good?”

 

“Swallowed vampire blood,” Pidge managed out between gasps for air. There were tears forming in her eyes. “Gotta get out somehow.”

 

“Right,” Keith rubbed her bare back in circles. Pidge was still only in her bra. There was blood on her arms from fixing up Shiro. “Do you need anything?”

 

“I'm almost done,” Pidge gave one final heave. Her thin frame shuddered. “Your brother is okay by the way. He'll probably make a full recovery. I'll be honest, didn't peg you as a fainter.”

 

“I owe you,” Keith gave her a smile. “I'm sorry I was a dick, you really didn't deserve that.”

 

“It's fine,” Pidge flushed the vomit down the toilet. “We do crazy things when things don't go our way.”

 

Keith hummed in agreement and continued to rub her back. It was hard to believe that such a tiny woman had taken down two vampires and sewn up his brother's arm all in one night. Finally seeing her in good lighting made Keith realize how cute Pidge really was. Her eyes were a golden brown and the freckles her noticed earlier were all over her shoulders and back too. Her ears were riddled with piercings, at least 5 in each ear. Her left ear, he counted 2 studs in her ear lobes, an industrial bar, and a ring in her tragus. The right ear also had 2 on the ear lobe, but also had 3 different colored rings on the outer ear cartilage. Long lashes almost overshadowed her now very smudged eyeliner. She had the beginning of tears in the corners of her eyes, emphasizing her already dark under eye bags. She must be exhausted.

 

“I need to shower,” she announced, finally picking herself up off the floor. “Can you go get Lance? No don't do that actually.”

 

“Is he your boyfriend or?” Keith wasn't sure he wanted the answer and cursed himself for asking.

 

“No,” She shook her head. “Maybe at one point. Not anymore.”

 

“Can I ask what happened?”

 

“Shit went down when we were seniors,” Pidge huffed. “It's when the vampire attacks started. What I wanted changed. It'll never go past friends with benefits.”

 

“That's harsh.”

 

“Life's harsh,” She moved to turn on the shower. “You can either stay or go back in the living room. Your choice.”

 

“Stay?”

 

“I don't like to be alone.”

 

“Yeah I'll stay,” Keith moved out of her way and sat on the toilet.

 

Keith watched Pidge undress, noticing how muscular she was. He should've assumed as much, her kick broke someone's jaw. Pidge's  legs were unbelievably toned, hypnotized by a pair of cute gray panties. He looked away when she unbuckled her bra. Even if he had permission to stay it wasn't right to stare at someone's breasts. Pidge chuckled.

 

“You can look now I'm behind the curtain,” Keith looked up to see her petite form blurred by the shower curtain. “I didn't take you for the shy type.”

 

“I'm not shy,” he retorted, failing to hide a blush creeping up his cheeks. “I just didn't think it was fair to stare at your boobs when you don't know me.”

 

“I know you enough. Who do you think moved you when you passed out? I like your tattoo, by the way. Roses was a classy choice.”

 

“They were my mom's favorite flower,” Keith rubbed his arm. It felt too intimate to have her see his tattoo. Stupid, he showed it off all the time to boost view counts. “Got it on my 18th birthday. My dad was super pissed. What's with all earrings?”

 

“You talk about her like she's gone. And I just like how piercing something feels, the pain makes me feel like I'm doing something real. Probably why I started hunting vampires. The rings in my left ear are for my family, purple for my mom, blue for my dad, and green for my brother.”

 

“She died when I was a baby,” Keith saw Pidge's form stiffen. “the pain thing, it's uhh, the same reason I got the tattoo.”

 

“I'm sorry.”

 

“Don't be,” Keith shook his head. “My dad remarried Shiro’s mom and now it's almost like I've always had one.”

 

“My dad's in a coma,” Keith heard shampoo squirt. “Vampires got him. Got my brother too but he's getting better. The PTSD though is pretty bad, the nasty scar on his face doesn't help.”

 

“Is that what happened your senior year?”

 

“... yeah.

 

They stayed like that for a while, quietly processing the night. Keith checked his phone and realized it was close to 3 in the morning. He'd have to call his dad in the morning, explain Shiro’s broken arm, that vampires even existed. His dad would believe him though, he’d always supported Keith’s cryptid hunting. Made him wonder what his mom would think.

 

“Can you hand me a white towel?” Pidge’s voice snapped him back to reality.

 

“Yeah sure,” Keith grabbed a soft white towel and tossed it over the shower rail.

 

“Thanks.”

 

A moment later the shower curtain moved to reveal a much better looking Pidge. The eyeliner was gone as was the blood. It made her look younger and more vulnerable. Long, loose locks fell around her shoulders.

 

“I'll give you some space,” Keith said, leaving the bathroom.

 

He hadn't realized how steamy the bathroom had become till he stepped out if it. Keith happily breathed in the steam free air. He quickly exited the bedroom. Hunk was still at the computer, if Keith hadn't known he'd moved when Shiro came in he'd say Hunk hadn't moved all night. Lance was eating from a bowl at a makeshift kitchen table. Shiro was passed out on the couch, his arm bandaged and in a homemade sling. Keith made his way over to Lance, his stomach grumbling.

 

“Good to see you awake,” Lance nodded at him. “Bowls are over there if you're hungry. Macaroni is on the stove.”

 

“I'm starving actually,” Keith said, fixing a large bowl of steaming mac and cheese. “Haven't eaten since 6.”

 

“Hunk cooks when he gets stressed,” Keith sat down across from Lance. “He can say he wasn't worried about Pidge, but he wouldn't of cooked if he wasn't a little worried.”

 

Keith made a noise in agreement and began to eat. He hadn't realized how hungry he was till the first forkful hit his mouth. Oh god this was so  _ fucking _ good.  Keith quickly started shoveling noodles into his mouth.

 

“Is she okay?” Lance asked, concern clear on his face.

 

“She was throwing up,” Keith swallowed. “But she seemed fine during her shower, more talkative at least.”

 

“She let you in the room while she showered?” Lance looked...jealous?

 

“Is that an issue?” Keith cocked his head to the side.

 

“No it's nothing,” Lance shook his head, but the expression of jealousy never left. “She just doesn't usually warm up to people that quickly.”

 

Keith shrugged his shoulders and went back to eating. A few moments later, Pidge came out of the bedroom, clean and dressed in an old tank top and sweatpants. Her long hair was tied up in a ponytail, still slightly dripping from her shower. A look of determination was splayed across her features.

 

“Alright troops, listen up!” Pidge clapped her hands to command attention. Everyone but Shiro waited in anticipation. “Hunk, lose the headphones. So I've had enough of chasing around low level vampires, only scraping at the surface. Tonight, I realized we can take on Lotor and his buddies and we can win. And then, we're taking it straight to Zarkon. Keith, you didn't ask to get pulled into this but now you know. If you're interested, I'd-we'd-appreciate the extra set of hands. 2 sets if we include your brother. But if you're out, you gotta pack up and get out of here tomorrow, it's not safe for you without us. So what do you say? Wanna join us?”

 

Keith had a lot of different thoughts going through his head when Pidge asked that. There was Lance across the table from him, who clearly saw him as a rival and would probably only make his life hell if he stayed. There was the fact that he'd just eaten the best macaroni in the entire universe, a definite plus if he stayed. And then there was Shiro. He had a new scar on his face and probably 20 years added to his life just from this one night. Keith knew he would stay if he wanted to, but was that even fair? Though his brother always did want to fight for what was right, and liberating this town was definitely the right thing to do. 

 

The real reason Keith wanted to stay though wasn't because he wanted to do the right thing. It wasn't the mac and cheese, and it definitely wasn't Lance. Keith wanted to stay because of the short, freckled girl with the eyes like molten gold. He wanted to stay because of the girl who rode in on a motorbike and saved him. Who stole his favorite flavour of candy. Keith was staying because of the girl with a perfect cocked smile on her face, extending her hand for a shake that would seal his fate. He returned her smile, stood up and took her hand.

 

“When do we get started?”

  
  
  
  
  



	2. Author Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick word from yours truly

So I've decided I will be continuing this fic! I'm not really sure the direction I want to go with yet but I do have some rough ideas of what I'll be putting in as well as a kinda ending. In the meantime, I need help filling up the middle! So if you have any suggestions or ideas you think might be neat feel free to either comment them below or send them to me on Tumblr @valentacool. While we wait, here are some headcanons for the AU

 

\- Pidge, Lance, and Hunk are all 20. Keith is 21 and Shiro is 24. Allura, Matt, and Shay also exist in this au and they're 24, 23, and 19.

 

\- Shiro and Keith took a semester of college off to pursue Cryptid hunting for a bit. Shiro is studying business and Keith is undeclared, considering film. Pidge, Lance, and Hunk currently don't attend college.

 

\- Pidge has a tendency to throw herself into reckless situations since almost losing her father and brother 

 

\- Lance and Pidge almost dated in highschool, but the vampire attacks got in the way. They still hook up occasionally, Pidge for comfort and Lance because he still loves her

 

\- Shiro isn't quite out of the closet yet, though Keith knows and supports him

 

\- Pidge briefly adopted a cat named Rover but quickly discovered taking care of a cat and fighting vampires is very hard. Rover now lives with Mama Holt and is a comfort animal to Matt. He spoils them rotten

 

\- Hunk actually has a job outside of vampire hunting, he works at a small breakfast cafe with Shay

 

\- Pidge, Lance, and Hunk pay for their apartment by taking bounties on vampires

 

\- Hunk has a traditional Samoan tattoo on his left shoulder and bicep that he got one summer while visiting his grandparents. His grandmother wanted him to get it on his hips and thighs but he was too shy/sensitive

 

\- Nobody likes the motorbike but Pidge. They have a large black van they usually all ride in, nicknamed Kaltenecker

 

\- Pidge only wears eyeliner because it makes her feel confident. She also uses it an an excuse when her under eye bags get bad

 

\- Keith hates vampires and still refuses to acknowledge their existence 

 

\- Hunk does all the cooking because Pidge burns everything and Lance doesn't know when to stop adding seasoning

 

\- Lance hates staying up late vampire hunting because he claims it's bad for his complexion. No one else really cares

 

\- In terms of bedding, Hunk takes the couch bed, Lance has the twin bed, and Pidge takes the trundle claiming she prefers to be close to the ground

 

\- Pidge hates being alone because she's paranoid something bad will happen to her and her mom will be alone 

 

\- Shiro once punched a guy for bullying Keith in high school

 

\- Keith then beat up said bully later for calling Shiro a fag 

 

\- Lance always insists on grand entrances, causing them to almost botch a hunt pretty often

 

\- While Lance always acts over the top, he's actually quite insecure, his one sided affections towards Pidge haven't been helping

 

\- Pidge did kickboxing in high school. She's broken quite a few jaws

  
Anyway, if you have any headcanons or ideas feel free to send them my way! I can't promise future chapters will be as long as the first (since it was supposed to only be a one shot) but I'll try to be consistent with length 


	3. Melancholy Twilight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after leaves our original trio with 2 new members, causing tension to arise between Lance and Pidge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm adding plance to this as an official ship but it will not be endgame! Also I always need beta readers so if that would be interesting to you shoot me a message at valentacool.tumblr.com

Driving around Ostburn during the day was completely different from the taste Keith had gotten last night. Various people from all walks of life bustled about the streets, going about daily business as if this was any other town. Keith wished it was. Keith wished Shiro hadn't been attacked. He wished a girl with pain beyond her years hadn't had to save him. He wished a lot of things, but none of them were going to come true.

 

Keith pulled into the parking lot of a large white hospital. Pidge had said it was the only place that offered real care for vampire victims, and to ask for Dr. Holt. 

 

“How you holding up man?” Keith helped Shiro out of the passenger seat of their truck.

 

“Feel like shit,” He grimaced. “Just glad to be alive.”

 

Keith nodded and supported his brother as they walked into the lobby. Hospitals had always put Keith on edge. Had spent most of his childhood in one, watching his mother whither away into nothing. Leukemia was a bitch. If the receptionist was surprised to see two very beat up teenagers, she didn't show it. If anything she looked disappointed, like they were proof nothing was changing.

 

“We need to see Dr. Holt,” Keith told her.

 

“Figures,” She muttered and picked up a phone. “Don't bother signing in, Dr. Holt will be here shortly.”

 

Keith had decided a long time ago that waiting rooms were the worst part of any hospital. They all had uncomfortable chairs, crappy vending machines, and way too many people. As if it was a requirement, a fluorescent bulb was out, flickering occasionally. It gave him a headache. In one corner, a baby started wailing, perfectly expressing how Keith currently felt. If Shiro didn't need care urgently, he probably wouldn't of come within 5 miles of this place. Not if he could help it.

 

“Hey I know you don't like hospitals,” Shiro’s hand on his shoulder pulled him out of his thoughts. “It means a lot to me that you're here. And we'll be out of here before you know it.”

 

Keith gave him a weak smile.  _ Doubt it _ , he thought. If you weren't in a hospital for over 3 hours, did you really even go? Though this particular hospital had a distinct smell of bleach, so he really hoped they wouldn't be here long. Keith bounced his leg as he watched the clock on the wall. He'd maybe gotten 3 hours of sleep? After Pidge's great speech, she’d given them directions to the hospital and promptly passed out. Lance had immediately followed her like a puppy, peppering her with questions that were weakly deflected. Hunk had said he could use the couch bed, since it was big enough for two people as long as he didn't mind sharing a bed. Keith would've slept with a werewolf on a full moon if it meant he could sleep on any form of bed. He still couldn't shake the image he saw though when he entered the bedroom.

 

Lance had been crouched over Pidge's sleeping form, softly stroking her hair and whispering something unintelligible. The glare he'd given Keith had raised and anger in him he didn't know he had. Lance was acting like Keith had done something so awful, like he was stealing something from him. Not just something, Pidge.  _ Someone should probably tell him she's not interested, _ he thought with a huff.

 

“Are you Keith and Shiro?” A woman suddenly asked.

 

Keith turned and had to do a double take. The woman was the spitting image of Pidge, but older and with shorter hair. And less freckles, he noted sadly. She had the same golden eyes and honey hair, but with some gray around the temples. A white doctor's coat was layered over a pale pink button down and black slacks. A look of concern was splayed across her pale face.

 

“Uhh, yes,” Keith suddenly remembered his manners and stood up. “I'm Keith and this is my brother, Shiro.”

 

“Katie told me about you two,” A familiar smile crossed her face. “I'm Dr. Colleen Holt, Katie and Matt's mother. Come this way, I'll fix you both up.”

 

Both Shiro and Keith followed her obediently to a bright room. What Keith assumed was an x-ray machine sat in the middle of the room.

 

“Katie told me about your arm,” Dr. Holt escorted Shiro to the machine, guiding him where he needed to stand and how to position his arm. “I suppose I should fuss at her, nerve and bone damage and all that jazz, but all things considered she probably saved your life. It's a shame she never pursued college, she had the making of a great doctor. Are either of you boys in college?”

 

“Yes ma'am,” Keith sat in a chair and watched Dr. Holt work. “We both took a semester off for, uhh...creative pursuits.”

 

“My Matt just started taking online classes,” She quickly typed something into a computer. “Don't move, sweetheart. I was hoping him moving on would convince Katie to come back home and pursue something, but at least she stays in contact. She's quite headstrong, I'm sure you noticed?”

 

“Yes ma'am, but um, is Katie Pidge? If that's the case, she's a force to be reckoned with.”

 

“Oh shoot, I forgot she still goes by that nickname,” A heavy sigh escaped her lips. “Whelp, we're all done, sweetheart. You can move now. I'll be right back, just need to to grab your x-rays.”

 

Dr. Holt exited the room and Shiro moved to sit next to Keith. He was being unusually quiet, especially compared to Pidge's mom, who unlike her daughter, was extremely chatty. Keith had learned more about his savior in his short time at the hospital than he had when she had literally brought him home. Apparently he hadn't even known her real name. Figures. At least now he knew where how they had all that access to medical supplies, most people didn't have loose bags of blood laying around.

 

“You're being quiet,” Keith stated. “Everything okay?”

 

“Tired,” Shiro leaned back and closed his eyes.

 

Dr. Holt popped her head back into the room. “Shiro can you come with me? We're gonna take your vitals while your x-rays finish developing. Keith, honey you can stay here, we'll be back in a hot minute.”

 

Shiro stood up with a groan and followed her into the hallway. Machinery quietly whirred, the only noise in Keith's head besides his own thoughts. He really needed out of this place, even if it would be a dick move to leave. Between the scent of hospital and his 3 hours of sleep, Keith was starting to have horrid flashbacks to his mom. Her already frail frame wasting away in a hospital bed, her once lively face barely more than a skull. Bruises covering her skin, the heavy scent of blood mixed with vomit, her pale hands over his, her staggering final breath as monitors beeped viciously. He needed out of here,  _ now. _ Keith practically ran out of the room, breath frantic. Hallways were starting to blur together as he made his way down one after another. Why did all hospitals have to look the same? It was like a cruel trick, the more you ran the further the exit the got. The wave of relief that washed over Keith as the lobby came into view was indescribable.

 

Finally out of the hospital, Keith stopped and caught his breath. It felt incredible to smell something besides bleach and sickness. He couldn't go back in there, if he did he would definitely have a panic attack. Keith took out his phone and shot a quick text to Shiro.  _ Panic attack coming, had to get out. Pick you up later. _ Jostling keys in his hand, Keith headed towards the old truck with new conviction.

 

-

 

“Hey man,” Keith was greeted by a uniform clad Hunk as he entered the apartment. “Where's Shiro?”

 

“Hospital,” He replied. “I just dropped him off, Shiro said I needed my rest.”

 

“I'm right there with ya! I'm gonna take the shower then sleep if you were gonna use the bed.”

 

“Where's Pidge?” Keith looked around. “And Lance?”

 

“Lance is probably babysitting, he's got a lot of siblings,” Hunk headed towards the bedroom. “Pidge is probably on the roof, there's some stairs in the lobby if you wanna check it out. It's got a hell of a view.”

 

“Thanks,” Keith nodded as Hunk went into the other room.

 

Checking out the roof would probably be his best bet, it wasn’t like Keith had anything better to do. The stairs weren't hard to find, unlike climbing them, which was literal torture. Not only was the stairwell super creepy, he felt like he would collapse at any minute, promptly falling to his death. How ironic would that be? Survive vampires, only to get taken out by stair the very next day. Actually, it made sense. Keith had slept probably a total of 8 hours the past few days, along with almost dying and nearly having a panic attack at the hospital, he should be exhausted. He should've taken the elevator to the top floor and then taken the stairs from there. Hindsight was 20/20 or something. As Keith approached what he hoped was the top of the building, he could hear voices. The door to the roof had been left slightly ajar, providing a glimpse of who the voices belonged to. He peered into the opening, only to quickly jump out of view when he realized who was up there. Pidge and Lance, and they were fighting.

 

“What is your deal?” Pidge shouted. “He was in trouble, I helped, end of story! You would've done the same!”

 

“It is not end of story!” Lance shot back. “You don’t see the way he looks at you! Like-like, agh! I dunno, bad! I don’t trust him!” 

 

“Don’t trust him?” Her voice was like ice. “Or are you just jealous? I’m not your girlfriend, Lance.”

 

“He’s not going to stay,” He sounded like he had been slapped. “They never stay. His brother is going to get better and he’s going to leave, just like everyone else who left this damn town. Like we should of left. Please, it’s not too late. We can go wherever you want, we can have a normal life.”

 

“Don’t touch me. I can’t have a normal life anymore, you should know that better than anyone.”

 

“I’m leaving, clearly you need to actually decide what’s really important,” Keith hid behind the door as footsteps approached. “I’m spending the night at my parents, I’ll be there if you get lonely.”

 

“I’m not gonna date you, Lance,” Pidge’s voice was quiet. “Don’t invite me into your bed to try to change that.”

 

“Then stop sleeping with me,” Lance flung open the door, nearly crushing Keith behind it. 

 

Watching Lance leave, Keith took a moment to collect himself before going out onto the roof. His presence had caused that fight, and now talking to Pidge would probably be super difficult. But the thought of going back down the stairs was somehow worse than the tiny woman’s wrath. He took a deep breath, and went out onto the roof. Hunk wasnt kidding, the view was pretty sweet. The apartment building wasn't the tallest, but it was tall enough to get a scenic view of the city. He could see the tops of other buildings, all baren compared to this one. A clear view of the street showed not only his truck, but various other cars parked along the street that weren't there last night. He could also see one very pissed off Lance hurrying down the street. Towards the edge of the roof, there were 2 outdoor lounge chairs under a terrace covered with vines. Sweet smelling flowers speckled the vines, giving it an almost romantic feeling. A small trail of smoke came out from underneath. 

 

“Hey Pidge, that you?” Keith called out. Pidge shot up from one of the chairs.

 

“Shit you startled me,” She had a joint in her hand, the source of the smoke. “So much for getting stoned. Probably better that I don’t actually.”

 

Pidge looked different in the daylight, less harsh anyway. Her eyeliner was less smudged today, she'd probably just put it on. Long, sandy had had been gathered up and shoved inside a red beanie. She was wearing the tank top she'd slept in and a pair of dark jeans. He could see her bare feet, her toenails were painting a pale purple. Keith found this oddly cute. A phone lay by an ashtray, soft music streamed out.

 

“You dont have to stop for me,” He sat down on the other chair. “You didn't really strike me as a stoner.”

 

“I'm really not,” Pidge took a drag off the joint. “I just live a really stressful life. Between vampires, my family, and...other stuff sometimes I just need to take the edge off.”

 

“By getting high?”

 

“It's not an elegant solution, and I'm not proud of it either. But since I don't do it that often, who gives a shit.”

 

“What does Lance think of this?” Shit, he shouldn't of said that.

 

Pidge didn't respond, lowering her joint into an ashtray and putting it out. She must know that he heard, he'd gotten here too quickly after Lance had left. Why did Keith always manage to ruin every conversation? They sat in silence for a while, listening to the city move and bustle around them, songs fading into one another. Pidge sang along under her breath.

 

_ Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies _

 

Pidge had a melancholy voice, like a story with no ending. Just a bittersweet, broken promise. It didn't help that she was singing along to a song about lying to make ending a relationship easier. A breeze came blowing Keith's hair into his face, tickling his cheeks. It was easy to see why Pidge had hers in a hat. He took a ponytail from his wrist and tied up his dark hair.

 

“I shouldn't of brought him up,” Keith apologized.

 

“You heard us, didn't you?” Pidge sighed. “Lance just...I dunno. He's protective of me, overly protective really.”

 

“Guys tend to be that way when they're sleeping with someone.”

 

“I should stop,” She buried her face into her hands. “I know I should stop! We're just torturing each other, I'm giving him false hope and I keep thinking every time, this will be the time I just let go! But I fucking can't! He's this constant reminder that I should've just gone home early that night, that it should've been me.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Keith gently touched her shoulder. “Pidge-"

 

“Please don't,” Pidge jerked her shoulder away. “I shouldn't of riled him up last night by inviting you to stay with me in the bathroom. I need to go see Lance.”

 

“Katie-" Keith regretted saying her name before it even left his lips.

 

“Don't you EVER call me that!” Pidge stormed off the roof, leaving Keith alone with his thoughts.

 

The silence from the loss of her presence was deafening. Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid stupid. She'd done nothing but help him since last night and he repaid her kindness by making her uncomfortable and upset. He really was the king of failing to make friends.

 

~*~

 

Maybe she shouldn't of stormed off the roof, it had been a bit of a knee jerk reaction. But why the  _ hell _ had he called her Katie? It had probably been her mom, her and Matt were the only people who called her that. And then she'd just overreacted and now she was chasing after Lance. Stupid, stupid Lance. She needed to break it off with him, it was getting out of hand. The jealousy and the fighting was ridiculous, they were only friends!  _ Liar, you don't treat him like just a friend. _

 

“What am I even doing?” Pidge spoke aloud to herself.

 

What was chasing after Lance really gonna accomplish? An apology, and then sex? Yeah, like that would solve anything. She was on a self-destructive wagon leading to her own death, and it was speeding straight towards a wall. Lance was right, she needed to leave Ostburn. Yet at the same time, her soul was tethered here, a rubber band threatening to snap if she wandered too far. Pidge wanted to leave, wanted to love Lance like he loved her, wanted to be a normal college student.

 

_ Then why do you keep pushing everyone away? _

 

Pidge needed to see Allura, now.

 

-

 

Allura and Pidge were 2 sides of the same coin. At first glance they seemed completely opposite. Allura was the daughter of a wealthy philanthropist, she was as tall, feminine, and elegant as a real life princess. Pidge was the daughter of a military commander, she was short, a tomboy, and awkward as hell. Their connecting tie was a painful one. They had met in a support group for families who had lost parents or siblings. Allura had lost both of her parents, Pidge had lost her father to a coma. The connection was instantaneous, and the two had been inseparable ever since. 

 

Entering Altea Internet Cafe was always like going back in time a few years. A few computers were in a line, with more space to bring laptops. Fresh coffee and sweet treats scented the cozy cafe.

 

“Allura?” Pidge called into her dear friend's internet cafe. “I need female bonding!”

 

To say that Allura shot out faster than a comet would be an understatement. She was always desperate to get Pidge to open up, and now not only had she come to Allura, but she actually wanted to bond! Dressed in her standard jeans, blouse, and work apron, Allura looked unfairly glamorous. Not that glamour was something Pidge cared about, but it would be nice if her hair could flow more like Allura’s white locks.

 

“Come with me, I have fresh scones!” Allura happily dragged the smaller girl to the back of the cafe. “I'll even make you coffee if you want!”

 

“I'm good on the coffee,” Pidge took a deep breath. “You know I hate talking about my feelings right?”

 

“Naturally!” Allura sat Pidge down and placed a caramel colored scone in front of her. “One time I tried to get you to open up and you sprayed me with a hose.”

 

“I'm still sorry about that,” Pidge winced. “So we rescued this guy, 2 guys actually, last night and I kinda opened up to him?”

 

“Oh Pidge! That's wonderful!”

 

“Yeah but then it wasn't. I told him about Lance, which was a terrible idea, and even about my family! Which was an even worse idea. And I only opened up to him cause I thought he'd leave! Who would willingly stay here?? And because he stayed now Lance and I are fighting! Which is my own fault for leading him on but like I'm really not? I told him I don't wanna date. And then this new guy called me by my real name and agh!!! So now I'm supposed to be chasing after Lance but instead I'm here and now I high-key wanna die.”

 

“Okay well that was…” Allura paused. “More than I was expecting. Is that fling with Lance still going on?”

 

“Yes,” Pidge groaned and picked at the scone. “I don't know why ending this is so hard! I know I need to. Just because I know I can't love him like he wants me to.”

 

“Pidge…” She put a hand on her small friends shoulder. “Lance represents a difficult time in your life, and I know you blame what happened to your family on your choices with him that night. But it wasn't your fault or his, it was just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

 

“Yeah because of me.”

 

“You know Matt doesn't blame you, and I'm positive your dad doesn't either. But getting to my point, why do you care what this new guy thinks of you and Lance?”

 

“I dunno? I guess he's kinda cute? I know jumping from guy to guy isn't good for my mental stability but he's just not connected to Ostburn and maybe I saw in him something I can't have but want. Not like I'm really in a position to date anyway.”

 

“Why don't you take him out though?” Allura had a smile on her face that made a shiver run down Pidge's spine. “Lance probably won't be back for the night and Hunk tends to sleep all day after work. I'll load you up with some snacks and movies! You deserve a normalish date for once.”

 

“Hell no,” Pidge shook her head. “I mean  _ fuck  _ no! I'm a vampire hunter with ptsd and way too many family issues! Not to mention all I've done since I met this guy is yell and blow up at him! This is a terrible idea.”

 

As if the cosmos were out to get her, a bell rang signifying that someone had entered the cafe. Pidge peeked out of the back long enough to see it was Keith before ducking back. Why did this always happen to her??

 

“Allura it's him,” Pidge frantically started to look for a hiding spot. “ _ Holy shit Allura _ . It's the guy I rescued oh my god.”

 

“Ooh I wanna see!” She poked her head out and got a glimpse of Keith. “Pidge! He's so cute! Tell me again why you don't want to try to pursue anything with him?”

 

“Because looks aren't everything and I have some kind of dignity?? Allura where are you going?!”

 

“Hi welcome to Altea Internet Cafe!” Allura breezed out of the back to greet Keith. “How can I help you today?”

 

“Uhhh maybe?” Pidge pressed herself up by the entrance to the front, straining to hear the conversation taking place. “Are you Allura? I'm looking for Pidge. Hunk said she might be here.”

 

“Ah yes! She's-" Allura’s words were cut off as Pidge toppled a table. “One moment, it sounds like a  _ bird _ got in."

 

“What the fuck are you doing??” Pidge whisper-shouted at Allura. “I'm trying not to see him right now!”

 

“Pick up that table right now!” Allura huffed. “I'll help you hide but be nice to him! He's pretty cute, and you deserve a nice guy.” Allura went back to the front. “Sorry she's not here. If she's not at home, she's either at Lance’s or visiting her mom. Check Ostburn General Hospital.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

“Come again!” Allura ran back into the backroom where Pidge was picking up the table. “What the hell? Pidge he's super hot and seemed really normal! Also his tattoo is super hot.”

 

“Allura that's not the point,” Pidge sighed. “I'm not ready for a real relationship. Otherwise I'd just date Lance or whatever, but thank you for not blowing my cover.”

 

“Yeah yeah. I can't believe you almost broke a plate and a table!”

 

“Sorry sorry,” Pidge held up her hands in defense. “I panicked.”

 

“Not important, but I am kicking you out for that,” Allura escorted her to the front and started to give Pidge various pastry containers. “Here are some snacks, and I do think you should give him a chance.”

 

“Yeah maybe. Alright, bye Allura!”

 

“Make good choices!”

 

Pidge laughed to herself as she exited the cafe, which proved difficult with the enormous amount of treats in her arms. Getting home would be a bitch that was for sure. She needed to call Lance though, and make a serious decision. She could have something with Keith if she wanted to. Pidge was relatively attractive, Hunk had told her she had a nice voice once, and she had dated before Lance. Of course there was always the fact that Keith might not be interested, but after watching him fumble around her, he probably wasn't that good with girls anyway. Plus, if she wanted that, she'd have to break it off with Lance, a feat that might be too great for even her.

 

How would she even go about that? Sorry Lance, no more casual sex after 2 years because I want to fuck a guy I just met? Yeah, like that wouldn't screw up the entire team dynamic. Or even worse, I'm gonna leave Ostburn with another guy even though you've been begging me to leave and I don't love you. Was there even a way back to being friends considering their history? Pidge highly doubted it. And poor Hunk would probably be forced to choose between the two of them! There was literally no happy ending this time, not that there usually was.

 

Pidge felt a huge since relief as home came into view, which quickly turned to dread as she spied the last 2 people she ever wanted to see talking to each other on the doorstep. Fucking great.

 

“Hey Pidge!” Lance hopped up and took a couple of pastries out of her arms. “I, uhh, wanted to apologize.”

 

“Don't,” Pidge gave him an uneasy smile. “It's water under the bridge.”

 

“Lance and I were just talking,” Keith walked over to them. “Shocking enough, we actually have a lot in common.”

 

“Yeah! Like this emo actually is into space travel, but your claims on aliens are totally overrated.”

 

“Aliens?” Pidge cocked her head.

 

“I mean,” Keith shrugged. “I'm a Cryptid hunter, of course aliens are real. Do you need any help?”

 

“I'm good,” Pidge shook her head. “I'm glad you guys are getting along. Now let's get inside and put these away.”

 

Pidge figured that could've gone worse, but at what cost? God knows what Lance had told Keith, or vice versa. Hunk wasn't to be seen when the trio entered the apartment, meaning he was probably asleep. Great, now she was stuck with the two people she desperately wanted to be as far away as possible from. The universe just loved to screw her over. It must be revenge for all the shitty things she did in high school. Was it possible for a room to be more tense while putting away food??

 

“Allura really loaded you up this time, huh?” Lance joked.

 

“Yeah, I think it was punishment for not visiting her more often,” Pidge gently chuckled. 

 

“Allura?” Keith's features visit darkened.

 

“Yeah, she's Pidge's friend over at this internet cafe!” Lance smiled obliviously. “She always sends her home with snacks after a visit! Oh man this one is still warm.”

 

Pidge groaned inwardly, now Keith would know she was avoiding him! “So Keith!” She quickly changed the subject. “How's Shiro? What did my mom say?”

 

“His arm will be fine,” Keith wouldn't even look at her. “He's staying overnight in the hospital. I'm gonna go check on him one more time before the sun goes down.”

 

Keith sulked out of the apartment, leaving a sour taste in the room. As soon as the door shut, Lance turned towards Pidge.

 

“Look, I'm really really sorry,” He gently cupped her face, thumb idly rubbing her cheek. “It wasn't okay of me to talk to you like that, and it doesn't matter if you say it's okay or fine or whatever, because it's not. I'm sorry Pigeon.”

 

“It was a real dick move,” Pidge giggled, trying to cover up her unease. “But I'm not mad anymore.”

 

Lance smiled and placed a small kiss on her lips. The problem with kissing Lance was that it didn't give her butterflies anymore, no spark. It was familiar, like an old teddy bear from your childhood. Being with him had become a comfort move, it wasn't for pleasure or love, it was for company. Knowing that tore Pidge up inside, because she wanted to love Lance so so badly. She wanted butterflies and stolen moments.

 

“Are you okay?” Lance looked at her concerned, hand still cupping her face gently. “You know you can tell me anything.”

 

“Yeah I know,” She leaned into his touch. “I just didn't sleep enough last night. I promise I'm taking care of myself.”

 

“Could've fooled me,” Lance rolled his eyes. “You went out without a jacket in early spring.”

 

“Whatever mom,” Pidge laughed, shoving him gently.

 

“Yeah yeah,” Lance opened up his arms. “Your mom needs a makeup hug.”

 

As Pidge leaned into his arms, she couldn't help but think how bad the fallout would be when she finally made a choice.

 

~*~

 

Pidge had hidden from him back at that stupid cafe. Why would she do that? Stupid question, Keith. She had hid because all he did was make her uncomfortable and upset, he'd been over this. But hiding from him? Was that really necessary? Probably honestly, he had been a huge dick. Just because you think some girl is kinda cute, idiot. Plus, because of said girl, He was going back to a big stupid hospital, even though Shiro had said to visit him tomorrow because he was fine.

 

Well he didn't have to go to the hospital. He could go to a corner store and get a slushie, or go to that greasy looking burger joint. Or go have a very badly needed drink. The possibilities were endless when you felt like shit and had money. Currently, a 7/11 was calling his name pretty strongly. Pulling into the dirty parking lot, he quickly parked and headed towards the entrance. It must be a universal requirement for a 7/11 to be as creepy and gross as possible. His boots dragged over grimey tile as Keith headed towards an impressive slushie selection. For such a gross place, the machines seemed pretty clean and well maintained.

 

Keith was feeling white cherry, a classic and if he spilled in the truck Shiro wouldn't scalp him for staining the seats again. Grabbing a large cup, he filled it to the brim with white slush. After it was filled, Keith grabbed a random bag of chips and placed both items on the counter.

 

“4.50,” A cashier with tired eyes finished ringing him up.

 

Keith placed a 5 on the counter. “Keep the change.”

 

The sun would be setting soon, but until it did, Keith was going to sit in the old truck and drink his slushie. What a wonderful time to be him.

 

“Everything sucks,” He mumbled to himself, taking a long sip.

  
Thus resulting in his first of many brain freezes of a really terrible day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think due to the lack of angst I try to make up for it in this one? Idk maybe I just like to make people suffer. Also how about that season four. How about that group hug hmmmmmmm  
> Any suggestions are welcome at my Tumblr @valentacool


	4. Bonus Chapter: Happy Birthday Keith!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This isn't really in chronological order but here's the gang celebrating everyone's favorite emo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wanted to write a little something for Keith's birthday so here's the shortest thing I've ever written

Keith was having a very sour day. Since he'd woken up, someone had a silly errand only he could run. Pidge needed paper towels, Hunk needed eggs, and even Shiro had sent him on a wild goose chase for a replacement piece for equipment he was pretty sure they didn't own. The worst part was he was pretty sure everyone had forgotten what today was. It wasn't like he had made a huge deal out of it, Keith wasn't one to talk about himself, but he had mentioned it to everyone! Even Shiro couldn't of totally forgotten, they were brothers for crying out loud.

 

Letting out a deep sigh, Keith picked up the last item for his ridiculous errands(Why would Lance of all people need ponytails???) and headed towards the truck. Shiro and his camera piece, Hunk and a new sweatshirt(which wasn't even his size, it must be for Shay), even Allura had him pick up a mystery box from the internet cafe. The errand he was most curious about was that Pidge had sent him to get a very specific knife. He had mentioned in passing to her that he liked the design, but it was so odd for someone who never cared much for knives to suddenly want a very specific one. At least she had good taste. Keith took out his phone and sent a text to their group chat.

 

**Keith: no more errands. im coming home now, be home in 10**

 

**Pidge: Drive slow!!! Many dogs out on the road ᵔᴥᵔ**

 

**Keith: no emojis**

 

**Pidge:** **(ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧**

 

Chuckling to himself, Keith started the engine and pulled out onto the road. He did as told and drove slowly, even if it was highly unnecessary. The sun was going to set soon, so the road was almost empty, most people had hurried home to stay safe for the night. Keith hummed quietly along to the radio, enjoying the empty roads. Despite taking his time on the roads, he was home before he knew it.

 

Why did they have to want so much stuff? Keith struggled with the door keys, finally getting the lock despite the many bags in his arms. The entire apartment was dark, which was unusual since both the van and Pidge's bike were parked outside. Keith fumbled a bit before finding the light switch and flipping it.

 

_ “SURPRISE!!” _

 

Keith practically jumped out of his skin as Pidge, Lance, Hunk, Shiro, Allura, and even Shay gave him the scare of his life. His eyes quickly darted around, the apartment had been light decorated with a few red balloons and twisted streamers. In the center of the group, Pidge was holding a cake that said  _ Happy Birthday Keef! _

 

“Happy Birthday!” Their voices all blended into one.

 

They hadn't forgotten…? Then all the errands? Keith quickly took inventory of the items he'd been forced to pick up, a new hoodie that happened to be his size, ponytails(a clear dig at his hair from Lance, but the joke was on him because his last ponytail had snapped yesterday) and new camera equipment. Pidge had even remembered the exact knife he'd admired.He'd been sent out to get his own birthday presents and hadn't even realized it.

 

“Do you like the cake?” Hunk asked excitedly, taking the box from Allura out of his arms. “Pidge wrote queef instead of Keith but I managed to kinda fix it, so for the rest of the day you're Keef!”

 

“Also your gift is a 2 part thing from me,” Shiro threw an arm around his adoptive brother. “I figured you needed a new camera if you were actually going to take studying film seriously. That's just an add on attachment for smoother shots.”

 

“You guys remembered?” Keith asked softly, tears forming in his eyes.

 

“Shit Keith,” Pidge put down the cake on the table and hugged him. “Of course we remembered! We've been planning this all month.”

 

Everyone quickly joined into a large group hug, enveloping Keith so tightly he almost couldn't breathe. Pidge gave him a quick peck on the cheek and whispered into his ear.

  
_ “Happy birthday emo.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, this isn't in order, it's like a timeline divergence. Everything is still very angsty and sad! But wouldn't it be nice if it was always like this?


	5. Every Other Freckle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Pidge get to know each other!! Bonding!! And video games!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So small forewarning, I've played mortal combat like maybe twice in my life but I did some research so it shouldn't be horribly inaccurate. And I'm sorry I took so long to update! I got sick and hit a writer's block but now I'm back and better than ever!!

Keith's second night in Ostburn could be described as forgettable compared to his first. Except the rage that surged through his veins as he watched Pidge barely deflect Lance’s advances. Did she just not know? She had to, why else would she have whined to him on the roof? He would that she simply didn't care, except for the exhaustion in every reply, the disconnect. It wasn't that she didn't care, it was that she was tired of fighting. The most emotion she had shown all night was remorse when he had come back, and all he did was ignore her. Like an idiot. And now he was alone in the bedroom with her, Lance and Hunk still in the living room. They were celebrating that Hunk was off of work for once by playing video games all night. Both Keith and Pidge had been invited to join, and both declined. Keith wasn't ready to admit how bad he was at games(just because you like games doesn't make you any good at them) and Pidge had claimed that she was too tired.

 

It was dark in the room, curtains effectively hiding most outside light. Button smashing could be heard, though both boys were wearing headphones. Keith had finally managed to sneak a shower and a change of clothes, his wet hair leaking onto the borrowed pillow from the couch bed. Pidge had showered before him, and had been pretending to be asleep since he'd finished. Key word pretending. Keith knew what tossing and turning sounded like, and she had a cookie cutter case. The shuffling of blankets and then a loud sigh.

 

“If you're still pretending to be asleep,” Keith finally spoke up after he couldn't take her sighs anymore. “You're doing a terrible job.”

 

“I am asleep.”

 

“Last I checked, people don't respond to questions in their sleep,” Keith rolled over till he was facing the trundle bed. “Penny for your thoughts?”

 

“Fuck off,” Pidge rolled away from him.

 

“I should probably apologize for earlier, but if you wanna be a dick too, be my guest,” Pidge shot up in bed, mouth open in shock. “Oh do you wanna talk now?”

 

“Yeah you were a dick!” Pidge launched into a full blown rant. “Storming out of here before sunset, like you think you're hot shit! As if, you're barely cold piss. Plus! You eavesdropped on me and Lance on the roof- save the shit I know you did. And now you have the gall to act like I did something wrong by being pissed! All you've done since we met is act like a total and utter douche bag just because you know you're hot! And another thing-"

 

“You think I'm hot?” Keith interrupted. 

 

“Don't put words in my mouth jackass,” She shot back. “You're aesthetically pleasing to look at and nothing more.”

 

“Sounds like hot to me,” Keith smirked, enjoying her anger more than he should. Serves her right for shutting him out. “I've been told I can be irresistible.”

 

“Ugh now you sound like Lance,” Pidge sighed loudly. “I'm sorry for hiding from you at the cafe, happy? It wasn't nice. Now goodnight!”

 

Pidge rolled back over, her back now to Keith. “Actually one more thing,” She sat back up in bed.

 

“What right do you have to be mad at me for hiding when I was clearly upset? I mean, you called me by my real name, a dick move, and then just expected me to be cool about It? I introduce myself as Pidge for a reason. Also, this whole broody emo act is so lame, like it's not the 80s anymore, mullets are out of fashion.”

 

“I do NOT have a mullet!” Keith defended, sitting up. “And what about you? What kinda name is Pidge? I can understand wanting to go by a fake name, but at least choose a good one. And you let Lance walk all over you, doing whatever he pleases even though just today you told me you need to break it off. If I'm an emo, you're a coward. Also-" Keith stopped as he watched fat tears roll down Pidge's cheeks. He jumped out of bed and went to comfort her. “Shit, shit I'm sorry Pidge I didn't mean to…”

 

“No, no it's okay,” She hiccuped out between quiet sobs. “You're right, I  _ am  _ a coward. I know I'm a coward! If I really cared about him I'd let him go instead of dragging him along and saying oh yeah I'll leave one day! I'm such a fucking disaster.”

 

“Shhhhhh, hey,” Keith pulled her into his arms, blown away by how small she was. Keith had never been exceptionally tall, but his previous height assessment had be wrong, Pidge couldn't of been bigger than 5’2. He gently stroked her hair. “You're not a disaster, you're just a little confused right now is all. You've got a lot going on, but you'll be okay. Okay?”

 

“Okay,” She sniffled, and buried herself deeper in Keith's embrace. “Why aren't you wearing a shirt?”

 

“Because sometimes I'm a disaster too,” Pidge laughed softly, tears dripping down his bare chest.

 

They stayed like that for a while, Pidge crying and Keith stroking her hair, murmuring soft words of comfort. He finally realized in that moment just how tired she must be. Pidge couldn't of been much younger than him and she'd already lost so much. Her dad was in a coma and her brother had PTSD. Keith had seen it on soldiers, old and war worn. He couldn't imagine the toll it was taking on someone closer to his age. She didn't stay with Lance because she didn't want to break it off, she stayed because he was the last thing tied to her innocence. He was the only thing left from before she lost everything.

 

“I'm okay,” Pidge said after crying for a while. “Nothing like a good cry to get everything out.”

 

“I know we haven't known each other for long but,” Keith broke their embrace to look her dead in the eye. “You can trust me if you ever need to talk, okay?”

 

“Okay,” She had expression on her face that Keith couldn't quite place, almost like she had been shocked. “Now go back to your bed before Lance comes in and does something stupid.”

 

“I could take him in a fight,” Pidge giggled softly.

 

“It's not about if you can or not, it's about if I feel like sewing up someone again. I'm still not a licensed medical professional.”

 

“Yeah yeah,” Keith ruffled Pidge's hair affectionately. “Night Pidge.”

 

“Night Keith.”

 

Settling back into the creaky couch bed, Keith fell asleep quickly without Pidge's constant sighs.

 

-

 

Keith was the last to wake up the next morning. The last 24 hours had really taken it out of him and he appreciated the extra sleep. Light was streaming into the apartment, casting a warm glow throughout the messy space. Pidge and Hunk were playing a brawler game, Pidge easily winning as Hunk struggled to keep up. Lance was over in the kitchen cooking what smelled like eggs. Keith plopped himself on the couch next to Pidge and watched them play. 

 

The female fighter was dressed in strategically placed pieces of purple with a mask covering her face. When Pidge wasn't attacking with knives, she seemed to favor kick attacks, much like her own fight style. Pidge was currently using the purple ninja to kick the crap out of an orc looking man with 4 arms. The occasional fire ball would launch when Pidge wasn't beating him into submission. Just when it looked like Hunk had a chance to fight back, Pidge's character leapt onto his neck and ripped his head off. She then spit it across the screen and smiled revealing a set of teeth from ear to ear. The game announced the Mileena had won and Pidge cheered.

 

“In your face Hunk!” She teased. “Don't ever doubt the master!”

 

“Alright alright, I yield!” Hunk put down the controller. “Now beat somebody else up, I'm tired of losing.”

 

“You wouldn't lose so often if you actually took my advice when you play against Lance,” Pidge tossed the discarded controller at Keith, which he barely caught. “You're up Kogane, show me what you got.”

 

“I'm really not that good at video games,” Keith examined the controller. “I'll just watch if that's okay.”

 

“Wow! It's not!” Pidge loaded up the character select screen. “Square up man, time to play.”

 

“Give him a break Pidge,” Lance walked over. “I'll play Keith and you can see if he's even worth playing.”

 

“What no!”

 

“C'mon Pidge,” Hunk chimed in. “You've been playing all morning, just take a break.”

 

“Ughhhhhhhh FINE!” Pidge got up and headed towards the kitchen.

 

Lance took her spot and picked up the controller. He quickly selected a character similar to the one Pidge had been using, only this one was blue. Keith knew practically nothing about this game, opting to choose the character Pidge had been playing as. At least this way he knew how they attacked. After a few more choices, Keith found himself on the virtual battlefield. Lance clearly played a lot, quickly backing Keith into a corner with fan(what kind of character used fans with blades???) attacks. He did have one small weakness however, Lance was repetitive. He kept using the same combo over and over again. Keith quickly began smashing buttons as soon as the combo ended, managing to land a few hits on Lance. The more he smashed, the lower the health bar went. Kick, kick, stab, kick, punch. Something popped up on the screen, prompting Keith to press a button that let him perform the act that Pidge did earlier. He couldn't actually believe he had won.

 

“Well that's new,” Hunk softly chuckled. “Evil won this time.”

 

“What do you mean?” Keith asked, watching the screen ask to play again.

 

“Pidge could explain it better than me, but Mileena, your player, is a clone of Kitana, Lance’s player. An evil clone to be specific. She's mixed with something that makes her mouth like that, it starts with a T. Her mission or something is to kill Kitana and take the throne.”

 

“And evil won,” Keith muttered, sparing a glance at Pidge.

 

It felt like an omen, a bad one specifically. An evil clone of something good with large teeth winning. If someone had told Keith last week that vampires were real, he would've never believed them. Now the signs were everywhere, a literal slap in the face. He couldn't imagine how Pidge felt, having her entire world thrown upside down by some cryptid. She walked back from kitchen and sat down on the couch.

 

“Hop off I wanna play Tomb Raider,” She said, shutting down the game.

 

“That's not fair!” Hunk protested. “You've played that like 4 or 5 times!”

 

“My game system, my rules,” She quickly booted up a game with a rainy title screen. “You can watch or leave.”

 

Small grumbles of protest were made but ultimately it seemed Pidge's word was law. They all silently watched as arrows were fired into various enemies. Keith knew a little bit about Tomb Raider, he had seen the Angelina Jolie movie possibly once. At least he had seen parts of it. But this girl on screen wasn't a bombshell, she was a survivor, willing to do whatever it took to fight another day. Including, apparently, shooting men in their crotches as Pidge muttered  _ headshot.  _ That was an image he could live without seeing again.

 

“I should go check on Shiro,” Keith said, standing up. Not like it mattered, his statement fell on deaf ears. All three on them were focused on the game.

 

Keith shuffled quietly to the bedroom so he could get dressed. He threw on an old black t shirt and his jeans from yesterday, pairing it with his red zip up hoodie and an old pair of tennis shoes. After running his fingers through his hair, Keith felt ready enough to face the world. Coming back into the living room, Pidge spared him a quick glance before tossing the controller at Lance. He fumbled to catch it and the character on screen died.

 

“Pidge what the hell??” Lance asked.

 

“I'm going with him,” She replied simply. “Watch out there's a wolf about to kill you.”

 

A string of curses came from Lance as he tried to kill the sudden onslaught of animals. Pidge got up, grabbed her backpack and started towards the door. Keith followed her silently. Pidge went over to where he had parked the old truck and got into the passenger seat. He'd rather drive than get on her bike again, so Keith took this a blessing in disguise. 

 

Though he should've guessed she wouldn't ride the bike, shorts weren't really made for motorbikes. The tiny jean shorts highlighted her muscular legs, with the rest of her thin frame being swallowed by a large cream sweatshirt with a lotus flower on it. Her hair had been lazily braided, with various strands escaping. Starting up the car, a soft acoustic song came over the stereo. 

 

_ Goodbye to my Santa Monica dream… _

 

“I had my first kiss to this song,” Pidge said, smiling softly. “God I think I was maybe 13? Or 12. It was a middle school dance.”

 

“I had my first kiss when I was 7,” Keith said. “It was a dare.”

 

“Mine was too. It was a shitty kiss.”

 

“Can I ask why you came with me?” Keith drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “Not that I don't appreciate the company, I just don't see any benefit for you by tagging along.”

 

“Benefit?” She sounded insulted. “I didn't come for any personal gain. I mean, like I did wanna talk about last night but more importantly, I know what it's like to have close family in the hospital. It's not fun to be alone.”

 

“I...sorry,” Keith apologized. “I do appreciate it, I don't do well in hospitals.”

 

“I don't either, do you wanna talk about it?”

 

“I spent a lot of time in the hospital as a kid before my mom died. Just a lot of unpleasant memories.”

 

The rest of the car ride was spent in silence. Keith had never been so happy to see a hospital in his life. He ignored the voice in the back of his head telling him it was because of the girl in the passenger seat. Stupid, he was like some love struck teen. After parking, Keith quickly threw some of Shiro's clothes into a backpack and then the pair made their way towards the lobby. It was a different woman than when Keith had dropped off Shiro. She seemed to know Pidge and the two exchanged a friendly conversation and she signed them in. 

 

“Can you tell my mom I'm here?” Pidge asked her. “I'm sure she's worried about me.”

 

“Course, hun,” The woman smiled widely. “You know the way right?”

 

“As always, thanks Samantha.”

 

Pidge effortlessly found her way to the elevators and set them on a course for the 8th floor. Somehow, being in the hospital with Pidge was a lot less stressful. Probably because she knew exactly where to go in this maze of a building. Exiting the elevator, the went down one identical hallway after until finally arriving at a room labelled  _ Shirogane. _ Pidge gave a quick knock on the door.

 

“Come in!” A muffled voice answered.

 

Pidge opened the door to reveal a much better looking Shiro. The gash across his nose and been covered, giving him the appearance of a newly finished nose job. A black cast was on his right arm all the way up to his bicep. A silver sharpie signature was near the top of the cast.

 

“Hey I brought some clothes,” Keith held up the backpack. “I figured you needed something comfier than a hospital gown.”

 

“I appreciate it,” Shiro said, sitting up further in bed. “I'm glad you guys are here, I was starting to go a little stir crazy.”

 

“How are you feeling?” Pidge sat on the edge of the bed. “Sorry again for having to set your bones. How did the x-rays look?”

 

“Your mom said you did a good job, better than most doctors,” Shiro idly scratched at his cast. “And don't sweat it, Dr. Holt said the worst damage I'll have is a scar on my arm.”

 

“That's good,” Pidge released a breath Keith hadn't realised she was holding. “I was worried I hadn't set your arm properly. But now, a proper introduction. I'm Pidge Holt.”

 

“Takashi Shirogane, but my friends call me Shiro.” Shiro extended a hand which Pidge happily shook.

 

“You know I actually beat someone at a fighting game before we came to visit,” Keith said. “You would've been impressed.”

 

“Really?” Shiro chuckled. “Hey Pidge, did you know this guy can't play video games to save his life?”

 

“Ooh do tell.”

 

Shiro began to tell Pidge horror stories from their childhood. It was so easy to pretend they were normal people, that everything wasn't backwards. Shiro had just launched into a particularly embarrassing moment when a knock could be heard at the door.

 

“Knock knock Mr. Shirogane! Just need to do a quick check up,” Dr. Holt entered the room and stopped when she saw Pidge. The clipboard slipped from her hands. “Katie…?”

 

“Hi momma,” Pidge gave her a shy wave. “I'm sorry I haven't called-"

 

Pidge's words were cut off as the older woman swept her into a bear hug. Small tears could be seen in Dr. Holt’s eyes as Pidge returned her hug with equal ferocity. Small whispers were exchanged before Pidge finally broke the hug.

 

“Umm if it's okay with you two, is it okay if we have a small moment to ourselves?” Pidge asked.

 

“Go ahead,” Keith waved them out and they quickly left the room.

 

~*~

 

“I'm sorry I didn't call momma,” Pidge quickly said. “I know I said when I moved out I'd call every night and I'm sorry I haven't things just got so crazy-”

 

“Shhhhh, baby, it's okay,” Colleen Holt wrapped her daughter in another tight hug. “I'm just glad you're okay.”

 

Pidge leaned into her mother's embrace, savoring the familiar scents of her childhood and the hug only a mother could give. Pidge couldn't even imagine how silly they must look, two grown woman holding each other like fools in a hospital hallway. Then her mom started stroking her hair and Pidge decided to let people laugh. Colleen broke them embrace and began to examine her face.

 

“I swear, everytime I see you you've gained even more freckles,” She gently rubbed Pidge's cheek with her thumb. “You look so much like your father.”

 

“He always said I looked more like you.” Pidge placed a hand over her mother's. “I'm sorry I haven't been around as much, I promise I'll be around more often. Can I come over for dinner tonight?”

 

“Nothing would make me happier baby,” Colleen gently kissed her forehead. “You did a good job with his arm, by the way. I know you've got a lot going on right now but I really think you should take some college classes when you get a chance. The medical field could use someone like you, Katie.”

 

“I will momma, I promise.”

 

“That's my girl.”

 

As she sat down with her mom, catching up on everything, Pidge had to wonder why she ever wanted to leave home. Sure, the freedom was awesome and she definitely loved her bike but she missed her family terribly. Her mom's cooking, her brother's teasing, and especially her dad. 

 

“Hey mom,” Pidge started. “Can we visit dad while we're here?”

 

A brief look of surprise crossed Colleen’s face before she nodded. The walk to her dad's hospital room was quiet, both of them mentally preparing themselves. Before she knew it, they were at room 803. In her mother's cursive was their last name on the plaque on the door. A solemn nod was exchanged before the two women entered the room.

 

Samuel Holt looked as peaceful as ever, surrounded by monitors beeping softly. His greying hair had been neatly combed to the side, like how he always worn it. Rectangular glasses had been placed on the bedside table next to a vase of daisies. As usual, nothing in the room had changed except the flowers. Colleen walked in and sat down in the chair next to her husband, Pidge standing over her with a hand comforting her. Her mom took Samuel’s hand in her own.

 

“Hi honey,” Colleen said shakily. “Katie and I came to visit you.”

 

“Hi dad,” Pidge said. “I'm sorry I haven't visited in so long.”

 

Her mother began a one sided conversation with her father. Pidge was starting to believe her dad would never wake up. It had already been almost 2 years since Zarkon had attacked her brother and dad. Pidge remembered it so vividly, almost like it was yesterday. 

 

*

 

_ “You know,” Pidge leaned into Lance as they walked down the street, hands intertwined. “This might be one of the better dates you've taken me on. Even if it is freezing.” _

 

_ “Hey I can't control the weather!” Lance held her close so she wouldn't slip on a frozen puddle. “Also you could've waited for your dad to come pick you up, you're the one who insisted on me walking you home. Which I'm totally going to be late doing so make sure your dad goes easy on me.” _

 

_ “I will, I swear,” Pidge chuckled. “I can't believe this is our last year as high school students. We only have one semester left.” _

 

_ “Which actually reminds me,” Lance stopped walking and turned to face Pidge. “There's something I've been meaning to ask you.” _

 

_ “And I can't wait to hear it-” Pidge's eyes suddenly widened. “Is that my dad's car?” _

 

_ Pidge left Lance behind to run across the street to what looked like her dad's beat up jeep. As she approached, she heard someone shout loudly. Abandoning all caution, Pidge sprinted to the jeep and froze in horror as she took in the scene before her. Samuel Holt had been pulled from the car and had passed out. A figure was crouched over his body, viciously attacking his wrist. Blood poured down his arm, soaking a shirt that Pidge had gotten him last Christmas. Matthew Holt was cornered against a wall, another figure, possibly female, had scratched a deep gash on his cheek. She had never seen her brother look so scared before. In her mind, Matt was her fearless older brother. A little goofy, but always ready to comfort her if she ever needed a shoulder to cry on. Pidge loves her family dearly, and here they were, getting torn apart, all because she wanted to walk home. Matt turned and saw his little sister frozen in fear. _

 

_ “RUN PIDGE!” _

 

_ Pidge screamed. _

 

_ * _

 

It was hard to believe her dad had fallen into a coma barely two years ago. By the time he had gotten to the hospital, there's was too much blood loss. They'd put her dad in a medically induced coma to save his life. Matt had been luckier, walking away with minor injuries and a ton of PTSD. Pidge had been inconsolable, switching between angry outbursts and uncontrollable crying. She had pushed away everyone, her family, her friends, and even Lance. Shed never forget how cruel she had been to him and how relentlessly understanding her had been. Pidge didn't deserve him. She doubted she ever did.

 

“Hey mom?” Pidge slowly started inching towards the door. “I'm gonna stop by my place and pick up some clothes and then I'll be back over for dinner okay?”

 

“Would you mind bringing Lance and Hunk over for dinner tonight?” Colleen turned towards her daughter, tears in her eyes. “I'm not sure I can handle not being busy tonight.”

 

“I'll do you one better, I'll bring our new additions too.”

 

“You're the best sweetie. Give me a call when you're on your way over.”

 

“Will do momma,” Pidge waved goodbye. “Love you.”

 

“Love you too.” Colleen waved back.

 

Pidge was left alone with her thoughts again, her traitorous thoughts. Why in the world would she ever think bringing Keith home would be a good idea?? It was a terrible idea is what it was. Granted, she didn't want to leave him alone at her apartment which would inevitably overnight alone knowing her mother. As if they'd get home before the sun went down. So now she'd get to have two aggressive boys who didn't like each other in her dear mother's house around her PTSD brother. Wonderful! To live is to suffer, she decided.

 

Coming back up on Shiro's room, Pidge spied Keith sitting outside in a waiting chair. Seeing her approach, he stood up and wiped his palms on his jeans.

 

“Hey, uhh,” Keith stammered. “The nurse came in with meds and Shiro needed his sleep and you weren't back yet so I was gonna wait in the hall but I wasn't sure how long you would be and-"

 

“Keith it's cool,” Pidge gave him an uneasy smile. “We were just visiting my dad. It's hard for my mom to go alone and it triggers Matt's PTSD so I'm usually the only one that goes with her.”

 

“I'm sorry,” Keith apologized.

 

“Don't be, it gets easier every day.” Pidge started towards the elevator. “Now c'mon, you were invited to a Holt family dinner and your hoodie isn't gonna cut it.”

 

“What's wrong with my hoodie?” Keith jogged to catch up. “We aren't going out are we?”

 

“No, my mom's just a little old fashioned. Feels like if you're having company everyone should dress up.”

 

“That's nice?”

 

Pidge pulled out her phone and sent a text into a group chat with Lance and Hunk.

 

**Pidge: dinner at my mom's place tonight. be prepared for a sleepover**

 

**Lance: sick nasty**

 

**Pidge: stop that**

 

Sighing softly, she put her phone away and fell in step with Keith. Today had turned out to be way more stress than she had been expecting. At least dinner wouldn't be too insane. She could even wear that nice hi-low skirt she'd bought a while back on sale. Her mom would surely appreciate the effort. Speaking of effort…

 

“Do you have a button down shirt with you?” Pidge asked Keith.

 

“Probably not?” Keith scratched his chin in thought. “I was more prepared for a camping trip when I came out here and less of a sit down dinner.”

 

“Naturally,” Pidge sighed again. “We'll just have to make a detour at the mall to get you a shirt, my treat.”

 

-

 

There were few things Pidge hated more than the mall. The crowds just proved that sometimes humanity is actually the worst. Like how on Black Friday once a toddler had tackled her for a game system. Humans were merely civilized animals. Pidge really hope Keith appreciated this. She also really hoped they could finish this trip without stabbing a toddler.

 

“Okay so button down shirt,” Pidge turned to Keith. “H&M?”

 

“I guess?” He shrugged. “I haven't bought formal wear since high school.”

 

“Fantastic.” 

 

Walking through the mall was actually almost bearable. It helped that they had gone to Ostburn’s smaller mall. The bigger one could be literal hell. Pidge had to practically push Keith past the pretzel stand, ignoring his comments that he hadn't had breakfast and it was past lunch. If she had known she was bringing a literal child to the mall, she would've just left him at the hospital.

 

When they finally got to H&M, she directed him towards the men's section. He had 20 minutes to find a nice shirt and pants to try on before he met her at the dressing room. Pidge headed towards the women's section. She didn't really need anything but since she was already here it felt silly not to at least look. She pushed aside various tops while quietly humming to herself. Whenever Pidge went shopping, she played a game with herself called what would Allura wear? Basically, if Allura wouldn't be caught dead in it, she shouldn't buy it. It had a 75% success rate. Of course there was ways the other 25% when she picked less than perfect shirts. For example, Allura had once called her lotus sweatshirt that she was wearing right now ‘juvenile’. 

 

Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she found a particularly cute green, crushed velvet camisole. This would go perfectly with her black hi low skirt. Taking the top off the rack, Pidge felt a tap on her shoulder.

 

“I found some stuff,” Keith held up a few tops and pants, mostly black and red. “Ready to critique?”

 

“Ready as ever,” Pidge said. “The fitting rooms are this way.”

 

Pidge ushered Keith into a room and waited for him to change. A few moments later he called out.

 

“You can't laugh, I haven't worn nice clothes in a while.”

 

“I promise I won't,” she responded. “Just come out.”

 

Keith came out and Pidge had to physically stop herself from gasping. To say she barely recognized him would be an understatement. The white button down fit him spectacularly, hugging all the right places. He had also rolled the sleeves up to his elbows, exposing his tattoo, the edge of the roses disappearing under the white fabric. With left two buttons undone, so she could just barely see his defined collarbone. He'd managed to pick out a nice pair of slacks too which he had tucked the shirt into. For someone who apparently hadn't worn formal wear in a while, she was impressed that he remembered to tuck in his shirt. Keith's hair was in a ponytail, highlighting the slight blush dusting his cheeks. He looked good.  _ Really _ good.

 

“Well don't just stare!” Keith blush deepened. “How do I look?”

  
“Fuck,” Pidge muttered under her breath. She could just tell she was making a fool of herself. But with Keith looking like a model, maybe making a fool of herself wouldn't be so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Pidge has a cruuuuuush. Not that I blame her. Men in formal wear is a wondrous sight. Also! The chapter title is based on the alt-j song by the same name. It's kinda how the two of them are starting to feel about each other.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want me to continue let me know! I'm seriously unsure so yeah!


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